Not sure whether to laugh, or sob.
Advertising: Aiming to Be the Truck of Patriots
Starting this weekend, General Motors will run ads that tap into patriotism, positioning the Chevrolet Silverado as America's [gas guzzling] truck....
Pickups are critical to the turnaround efforts at both G.M. and the Ford Motor Company, not only because of their popularity but because the profit margins they carry are many times those of passenger cars.“G.M.’s full-size pickup line is the single largest contributor to the company’s profitability,” said John Casesa, an automotive analyst and managing partner of Casesa Strategic Advisers in New York. “It’s the backbone of the company’s North American business. It makes a real difference if sales are up or down 5 percent.”
Detroit’s automakers have long encouraged consumers to “buy American,” perhaps most famously through Chrysler’s gregarious former chairman, Lee Iacocca. The Big Three carmakers’ falling market share may be a sign that the buy American sentiment is fading.
How about the fact that “Buy American” is a joke, and just a marketing tool having no basis in reality? What percentage of Chevrolet parts are made in Detroit? What percentage of Toyota parts are made within the borders of the US? What's the effective corporate tax rate for GM? Honda?
Also, I think it is incorrect that the target market doesn't care about fuel efficiency of their trucks, simply, they've decided that engine power is more important to getting work done. If there was a fuel efficient vehicle which was able to haul shite around, it would sell too. Guys like my dad (a recently retired carpenter) aren't stupid, they would rather spend less of their income on gas, but they also have tools and materials that have to be moved, and a Prius isn't going to do it.
I wish an automotive company would spend some engineering resources and build a powerful, fuel efficient truck instead of more of the same old, same old.
Tags: automotive, /Energy, /GM
